The present invention relates to an automatic disc changer for a disc player, and more particularly to a system for increasing the speed of disc changing operation.
It is known that an automatic disc changer has a stocker which stores a plurality of discs, and a disc selected by the user is automatically taken out and reproduced.
FIGS. 47 to 49 show a conventional automatic disc changer. An automatic disc changer 10 has a plurality of detachable stockers 20 vertically disposed therein. Each of the stockers 20 stores a plurality of discs 21 which are vertically stacked in right and left columns as shown in FIG. 48.
A disc carrier 30 is mounted on a base 40 to be vertically moved in the disc changer 10 for taking out a disc 21 from the stocker 20. On the bottom of the disc changer 10, four disc player units 50 are disposed.
As shown in FIG. 49, the disc carrier 30 is pivotally mounted on the base 40 about a pivot 30a and has a chuck member 31 which is slidably engaged with a pair of guide rails 31a.
When reproducing a selected disc 21, the base 40 is vertically moved to confront the disc carrier 30 with one of the stockers 20 in which the selected disc 21 is stored. The disc carrier 30 is rotated about the pivot 30a to the right or the left, and the chuck member 31 is moved toward the selected disc along the guide rails 31a, and holds a periphery of the disc. Thereafter, the chuck member 31 is retraced so that the disc 21 is taken out from the stocker 20 and loaded on the disc carrier 30. Then, the disc carrier 30 is rotated to the initial position.
When the disc carrier stops operating, the base 40 is lowered to one of the player units 50. The chuck member 31 having the disc 21 is moved toward the player unit 50 so that the disc is loaded on the player unit.
In the disc changer, since the stockers 20 each of which stores a plurality of discs 21 are mounted in the case 10, the efficiency of storage of the disc is increased. Furthermore, the selected disc 21 is loaded by the disc carrier 30 pivotally mounted on the base 40 so that the disc 21 is easily changed.
However, in such a disc changer, in order to rotate the disc carrier 30 (swinging), to slide the chuck member 31 on the guide rails (sliding), and to hold the disc 21 by the chuck member 31 (chucking), an individual motor is provided for operating each device. Therefore, it is necessary to provide at least three motors. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide systems for transmitting drive power to respective devices. Therefore, the number of parts increases which causes the structure of the device to complicate.
After the disc 21 is completely loaded on the disc carrier 30, the disc carrier is vertically moved to the player unit. Such a sequential operation requires a long time to change the disc by the disc carrier 30.